There seems to be some realy misunderstandings about this component.
To make it clear, I am a big fan of Gallery2. But to implement it into Joomla is more than an adventure. Of course to install the necessary stuff is easy (you get all you need on: http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/gallery2_bridge/frs/), but than the trouble starts.

1. Why, as many say, does the offical site NOT mention where you get Joomla Lib?
2. Why does none of the guys who write positive things about it here, provides a link where everybody could see the job done?
3. The Bridge works for me so far, but if I open a link in the sidebar, I get a new window instead opening within Joomla. I ve tried the Forums - no result, not even an answer which helps.
4. The whole thing gets completely out of hand if I start to use Gallery2 Sidebar module.
5. Sometimes I suddenly see now pictures anymore. Once again, I have never received any clear answer in any Forum.
6. Why on earth does nobody provides a manual - I would start writing one if I got any idea how it works properly.

So after all, I have kicked it out and use Gallery2 in a wrapper.

PS: I like to mention that Gallery is a very fine tool. But one should at least warn people who want to include it into Joomla, it can be realy messy.

Links to my tests:
1. Link to Gallery 2 Bridge: http://www.bilderforum.ch/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=37&g2_view=dynamicalbum.PopularAlbum&g2_albumId=7

Links to Wrapper: http://www.bilderforum.ch/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=36

If I jumed on anybody feet which this, I trully appologize

lohar

Maybe it's just a problem with integrating with Community Builder, but it is buggy. Please do not insinuate that others don't know what they are talking about just because you were lucky enough to not have problems. I have found the documentation sparse and error screens frequent. Many people reported sync problems in the forum, and the author's fixes are posted on the forum 4 months ago but still haven't made it into a release. I can't download the updates from the forum because the registration there is broken. Frustrating. Wish I had not wasted my time.

After fussing with other gallery systems and bridges, I was most impressed with the features of the Menalto Gallery (http://gallery.menalto.com/) and the ease of this Gallery 2 Bridge. I originally installed the Menalto Gallery system via Fantastico through my web hosting cpanel. Then I installed this Gallery 2 Bridge component in my joomla site and followed the super quick wizard in the component. The Menalto Gallery bridged instantly into my site! And there were no quirks in my template layout. Finally, after months of trying other systems, I now have a great feature-rich gallery at my joomla site.

This component and its plugs could have been the best gallery solution out there (Gallery 2 systems are good ones after all, and integrating them in Joomla is the best solution).

However, no matter what I did I kept getting this weird error of wrong ID when clicking on an image that should have took me to the gallery 2 page.

Also a suggestion, it would be nice if I hadn't the need to re-skin Gallery 2 and instead the bridge would act like a "wrapper" so images would show within my site without having to move back and fro to Gallery.

If all you had to do is install this bridge as a Joomla component, it would be a dream. But that is NOT the case. When you install theBridge, you get notice that you must also install something called JoomlaLib. But there is no explaination what it is or where to get it. When you do find a link, it takes you to a page that numerous files, none of which are called JoomlaLib. If you go to the Gallery @ Bridge site, it is almost impossible to find any reference to the JoomlaLib and even then you do, it is usually people complaining about wasting time trying to find JoomlaLib. If you look hard, you might find a rant by someone who finally found JoomlaLib and figured out that you have to create a zip package (yourself) all of the files at the site and then install the files as component. Of course there is nothing there to tell you this. No directions. No clues.

This is extension has TERRIBLE documentation, terrible instructions, and terrible support. It takes forever before forum questions get answered if at all.

This is really too Bad! Gallery 2 is a beautiful work of art and an excellent addtional to any site. Why can't someone find a way to easily integrate it in to Joomla?

Components that need another program in order to work should not be listed here in the extensions unless all of the required programs are provided.

The installer should include the installer or at least give a direct link to download the JoomlaLib required component. I went to both gallery bridge and joomlalib websites and still couldn't find the file to download, all I saw as a bunch of technical information.

Personally I like to see the component working before I waste hours studying it.

Very poor installation instructions gets a 0 from me.

wow, so far so good! i did have trouble finding the joomlib tho! had to google .. cuz the link takes u to a wiki that doesn't link u to the download.

anyway ... followed the install directions .. and bam!

I LOVE THE SIDEBAR component! it's freakin brilliant!

thank you!!

Before you install this, first install com_JoomLib (assuming you have installed Gallery 2 stand alone already). This can be found here (after 2 hours of tracking down!!) http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/bsq_sitestats/frs/
This link will hopefully save you pulling your hair out.

So yes, this is definitely not the easiest gallery to install because unlike the rest of the joomla galleries out there you have to actually install a php app in your server first(thats gallery2) then install the extension and configure it so that it can find your gallery2 installation and then tweak your theme in both gallery and joomla until they actually work with one an other. And yes, expose has more eye candy. But the serious advantages for this gallery is that its by far the most powerful one out there. One simple thing convinced me to go through all the trouble of configuring this app(which is actually not that much, especially if you have fantastico in your server) Webdav support, which means I can mount my gallery on my computer as a file system in one click, then go into picasa click on export to folder and have it export the pictures directly into my gallery. Gallery recognizes automatically each folder and sub folder as albums and sub albums and I have my complete photo gallery set up without even opening my browser. Compared to the rest of the joomla galleries out there, where you have to either log into joomla or into the photo manager program they include and upload picture by picture or a zip file with a lot of pictures and then organize them and then specify a bunch of options to tell the gallery which are albums and which are sub albums, Id rather go through the trouble of setting this up so I can upload my pictures faster. And believe me all the other galleries are not difficult to use, thats not what I meant, what I meant was if I need to go all through that process just to upload pictures into my gallery Ill be doing it once a year, but with gallery2 Ill do it as soon as I get new pictures in my computer cause its just two clicks away(mount webdav, export to folder). And since I already have all my pictures organized in my computer with picasa its even easier to know which pictures I want and picasa even lets you resize all the pictures you export. The only thing I whined a lot when I was about to install this extension was that the download link is dead, and it needs joomlalib as well and that download link is also dead. I had to browse through the forum to find people with the same problem until I was able to find an alternate downloading site for both this extension and the joomlalib. Ill make it easy for you until somebody realizes the download link is dead for both joomlalib and this extension(I tried emailing the developer but never found his email). joomlalib: http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/bsq_sitestats/frs/
Gallery2Bridge: http://www.e-poze.ro/g2bridge/

Code-wise, this is a nice piece. I'm glad to have the opportunity to use it, however if I didn't have knowledge of trac svn and didn't know how to re-pack the zip files I would not be able to use this component. The download links need to be updated... to those who have interest in using this fine component, go to their 4theweb trace site(s) , download from tags/ and unzip, repackage the lowest directory in the chain (the version # one) into a single zip file, then you can upload it through the installer.

If you want total integration with Community Builder then you will hit a full stop.
You will notice the reviews are quite split - excellent / poor
The bridge works and is excellent. I hazard a guess that those who have rated it highly are not integrating CB.

If you do not require full community builder functionality then it provides a far less 'clunky' experience than Zoom.
The CB plugin is still seriously flawed, and until this is sorted out, Zoom is the answer.

Although I prefer Coppermine, I did give Gallery2 a try. The ease of installation of both the Bridge and the actually gallery was really quite simple. The only hickup I had was locating the requied JoomlaLib component. It is my belief that since it is required, it should be included in the bridge download.

While Gallery2 is still very very much alive and kicking, this extension is dead.

The support forums, a long list of postings pleading for help... Unanswered.

The required JoomlaLib 1.3.0 and the link to it lead to a wiki... It contains a set of links to modules which in turn return "File Not Found."

No mention of JoomlaLib 1.3.0 as a descrete entity, but a dozen different listings, all of which seem to address seperate specializations of the code library... all abandoned.

The roadmap for the dev wiki shows the project also to be a forgotten dream, and without this particular addition, the extension won't run.

The extension requires and depends upon an additional developer for code and both the extension developer and the developer of the library it requires have fallen from the face of the Earth.
No point in this extension being listed if the developers aren't supporting it and the required bits and pieces can't be downloaded.

I tried upgrading from 2.0.13 beta2 to 2.0.14 beta and was offered a message that this component requires Joomlalib and redirected to a project tracker page with no download link. When I found Joomlalib on SourceForge, it installed but would not configure. I uninstalled everything and went back to 2.0.13 beta 2 which works wonderfully!

There are a raft of posters having serious server related problems with the Bridge, and no real credible response to this problem for over a month. The failure of the bridge was not just limited to the bridge itself, but also knocked out my install of Gallery 2. Gallery 2 was still there but path was unset.

Server error 500
Fatal error: Call to a member function on a non-object in /usr/www/users/mypath.../components/com_gallery2/classes/g2bridge.jlconf.class on line 122

Good luck if you try it.

Jeff